City of Hendersonville discusses impact fees

New developers coming to Hendersonville may be looking at impact fees.

At its Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting Sept. 12, the board unanimously passed the first reading of an ordinance appropriating funds for a feasibility study regarding impact fees for development.

A third party will need to do the study, and the city will bid out the project.

"We haven't had impact fees before," said Keith Free, Hendersonville's director of planning. "A lot of communities in Middle Tennessee have embraced the impact fees," and the study will determine if impact fees are appropriate for the city, he added.

According to Free, feasibility studies range in price from $30,000 to $60,000; however the ordinance says it will appropriate no more than $40,000 for the study.

Alderman Matthew Stamper asked Free how much of the city's land was still able to be developed. Free said about 28-30% of land was available for development.

Stamper said he thought the fees were overdue.

"I wish we could have done this a long time ago," he said, adding that it was important to "make sure our infrastructure is keeping up with the rate of development."

The board has to approve a second reading of the ordinance for any funds to be spent.

Should the ordinance pass on its second reading, Free said they would bid out the project right away. At minimum, it will take about six months to receive the report back from study, he said.